The Major Differences Between B2B and B2C Social Media Marketing

Over the last few years, social media has become indispensable for businesses that want to make money online – whether in B2C or B2B.

While old favorites like Facebook and Twitter consistently capture B2C leads, LinkedIn has been recognized as the reigning king of B2B opportunities.

When it comes to social media presence, striking the right tone is key.

Some of the differences between B2B and B2C social media marketing are obvious, but others less so. As trends like content marketing and visual content gear up, the social media strategies for these market sectors are becoming more distinct.

Let’s take a closer look at the major differences between B2B and B2C Social Media Marketing:

Content

Any informative and useful material you provide to your prospects and customers falls into your content strategy. It can take the form of anything from blog posts to videos to whitepapers and webinars. B2B and B2C brands can leverage social media for their content in different ways:

B2C

B2C buyers love good blog content and see a thriving blog as a sign of credibility.

B2C buyers are more likely to share content, especially infographics and videos.

Humor and banter are expected by B2C audiences, but be careful with sarcasm.

B2B

B2B buyers are less likely to share content, but may join relevant events like webinars.

B2B buyers like to see deep content that combines data and analysis, like whitepapers.

A growing number of B2B buyers are connecting with mobile, so short videos can work.

Platforms

Although the number of social platforms is growing every day, there’s still a clear demarcation between B2B and B2C channels. People usually browse their favorite B2C networks when they are away from work, so they are much less attentive to business content.

B2C

Facebook is king of B2C, with both community-building and ads being very effective.

More B2C marketing is now performed on visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.

Younger audiences are moving away from traditional platforms to places like Tumblr.

B2B

LinkedIn is uniquely positioned to generate the majority of leads in a B2B social strategy.

LinkedIn allows you to prove thought leadership and find new buyers at the same time.

Direct prospecting through Groups and InMail is usually more effective than using ads.

Outcomes

B2C

B2C success hinges on building a “tribe” of brand evangelists via social community.

Engagement is a key metric because these social relationships are for the long haul.

B2B

Lead generation is the major metric – often beginning with an email list subscription.

A diligent follow-up process needs to be in place to drive these contacts to conversion.

In both cases, B2B and B2C social media marketing serves as a long-term component of an overall digital marketing strategy. Recognizing differences in approach helps you focus time and resources on results.